Ring traveler



Feb.- 23, 1943. a HU 2,312,098

RING TRAVELER Filed July 16, 1942 THOMAS fi-HUH Snventor GttomegS Patented Feb. 23, 1943 nmo. TRAVELER Thomas B. Hunt, Grcenville, S. 0., assignor to A. B. Carter, Inc., Gastonia, N. 0., a corporation of North Carolina Application July 16, 1942, Serial No. 451,137

1 Claim.

This invention relates to travelers for textile machinery such as spinning frames, twister frames, and the like and more especially to a traveler which is circular throughout its entire length,

Heretofore, it has been a customary construction to provide inturned straight portions or horns on opposed sides of the gap in the traveler. The remaining portion of the traveler, namely the arch, has sometimes been circular and sometimes oval in shape. The function of the horns has been to slidably engage the web and flange portions of the ring upon which the traveler moves and thus prevent the same from becoming detached. After the traveler has been in operation for some time, the horns pit or wear the lower portion of the ring flange and the upper portion of the ring Web and make it neces sary for the ring to be reconditioned or replaced.

It is an object of this invention to provide a perfect circle ring traveler in which the straight horns are eliminated adjacent the gap in the traveler, but instead the circular arch extends to the traveler terminals along the same radius. This type of construction makes the manufacture of the traveler more economical because it can be formed with moretemper and greater hardness, thereby increasing the life of the same. An additional advantage of a perfect circle traveler is derived from the fact that the outer terminal of the traveler does not contact the outside of the ring web while in operation. This feature provides more space for keeping the traveler cool, and also results in less accumulation of lint upon the traveler.

It is another object of this invention to pro vide a perfect circle ring traveler of the class described which will prevent the yarn from easily becoming unthreaded during a doffing operation regardless of the type of builder motion on the machine. This unthreading is usually produced by the yarn strand as it pulls the traveler upwardly when doffing the textile machine.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a plan view of a portion of a spinning rail and associated spinning ring, illustrating my improved perfect circle ring traveler;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional detail view similar to the right-hand portion of Figure 2,

and illustrating more clearly the position of the ring traveler while in operation;

Figure 4 is an isometric view of the ring traveler as it appears when in normal position;

Figure 5 is an inverted isometric view of the ring traveler.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral I!) denotes a conventional spinning rail which may be employed on textile machinery such as spinning frames, twister frames. and the like. At spaced intervals along the rail, a plurality of annular spinning rings II are inserted, there being only one spinning ring shown in the present embodiment of the invention. Each of the spinning rings is provided with a vertical web I2 and a peripheral flange I4, said flange I4 extending from the outer periphery of web I2 and being adapted to rest upon the top of spinning rail Ill.

The upper edge of the ring II has a horizontal flange I5 which overhangs both sides of the web II. This flange is employed as a trackway or guide to which my improved perfect circle traveler I6 is detachably secured.

During operation a strand of yarn l'i passes downwardly from suitable drafting rolls, not shown, through the traveler I6 and then horizontally onto a rotating bobbin I8. The bobbin I8 is rotated by a conventional mechanism, and as this rotation takes place, the traveler I6 moves around the ring I2 in substantially the position shown in Figures 2 and 3.

By referring to Figures 3, 4, and 5, the details of ring I6 are clearly shown. This ring is formed preferably from a flat piece of metal which is bent in the shape of a circle and which has its ends or horns I9 terminating a slight distance apart from each other, thereby forming a gap 20 between the terminals. The metal from which the traveler I6 is made should be highly tempered and hardened, yet it should be sufficiently resilient or spring-like to permit the proximate terminal ends of the same to be sprung apart and permit the traveler to be inserted or removed over the horizontal flange I5 of ring II.

Particular attention is called to the fact that the terminals or horns I9 are also circular and have the same radius as the remaining arch portion. In other words, instead of having substantially straight inturned horn port-ions, the terminals have the same curvature as the arch. Grooves 2I are provided near the tips of the horns so that the contacting portion of the horns with the rings will be in the shape of a rounded bead, thus reducing the friction when the traveler is in motion. The periphery of each rounded head is somewhat greater than 180 degrees and the longitudinal axes of the beads are substantially parallel to each other.

7 Furthermore the longitudinal axes of the beads are substantially in alinement with the path of travel of the traveler, therefore only tangential contact will be made with the ring as the trav-'- eler floats therearound.

As heretofore enumerated, the chief advan-. tages of a perfect circle ring of this type con sists in permitting the traveler to move around: the ring with less wear, creates less temperature and friction, has greater ventilation between the outer terminal of the traveler and the web of the ring, permits the traveler to ride higher on the ring and thus has a perfect floating motion.

the other, all portions of the horns and the arch lying in the same circle and the horns being wholly within and between two parallel planes defining the sides of the arch portion.

THOMAS B. HUNT. 

